Ford Motor's China sales fall 32 percent in July on continued lack of fresh models

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FILE PHOTO: The new Ford Focus car is displayed during a media preview at the Auto China 2018 motor show in Beijing, China April 25, 2018. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

BEIJING (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) on Friday said its sales in China fell 32 percent in July from a year earlier to 57,662 vehicles, as the U.S. carmaker continued to suffer from a lack of fresh models in the world’s largest auto market.

The latest figure followed a 38 percent tumble in June, leading to the automaker’s worst-ever first-half year in China since starting operations in the country in 2001.

For January-July, Ford’s China sales dropped 26 percent versus the same period a year earlier to 458,105 vehicles.

On Wednesday, Ford announced plans to launch an “entry-level” sport utility vehicle (SUV) early next year in China, developed jointly with local partner Jiangling Motors Corp Ltd (000550.SZ), as part of efforts to revive its slumping business.

The new SUV, the Territory, is one of 50 new or redesigned vehicles Ford plans to launch in China from this year through 2025. Those vehicles include a redesigned Focus scheduled for launch later this year.

Ford officials have said the automaker’s business in China will remain pressured this year by a dearth of new or significantly redesigned models in its product lineup, a situation they indicated could last through the end of 2018 or early 2019.